Probability of better defenders on loan market for Celtic

After a flurry of transfer activity, it was reassuring to hear Brendan Rodgers say “We will look to do more business, January is important for us.” We have brought in players who will help us with domestic and European challenges this season, but the strategic objective of arriving at the Champions League qualifiers with strong central defensive choices remains.

While the manager is in Dubai, Celtic scouts are busy on this task. The previous two transfer windows saw Marvin Compper and Jack Hendry arrive on permanent contracts but fail to impress. Getting players in is not the problem, but signing players capable of competing in Champions League qualification games is another matter.

Our most reliable method of recruiting central defenders in recent seasons has been loans from English Premier League teams’ younger ranks. We have a reputation there for improving defenders, adding value for Manchester City and Leicester. It would be better to add value to our own playing assets, but squads can have both strategically consistent players (Vakoun Issouf Bayo) and short-term patches (Filip Benkovic).

Would we get a better player through this method than buying on the open market? Probably.

Greenpinta from the previous thread- Iran is in many respects far more liberal in their view towards women than other Muslim countries that get a far easier time in our press. I regularly work with senior Iranian academics and at least half are female.

Honest to God, the leaders on this site border on the offensive at times. They are an insult to the intelligence of fans. We need to rebuild a central defence, not stick a plaster on it.

This club needs a minimum of two first choice centre backs of proven quality. And yes, that costs money. If we end up with two more projects – and those who belong to someone else – then two things will happen; first, we’ll get absolutely scudded by the first halfway decent European team we play next year …. but even before that happens Rodgers will walk and no-one will be able to say he was wrong to do so.

Our scouting and permanent recruitment was shocking during the summer.

That is why we needed emergency loans.

Not sure if you are flying a kite for a low spend defensive recruitment exercise over the next few weeks. If all we are capable of is loan deals then we have stopped being a proper team — we are just an invitational side living off a few cameos.

So many against the loan deals,but the same people are wanting Celtic to buy top class CBs knowing full well the exorbitant amount of money they would cost.Benkovic could help us get to No 8.For me,job done.Same with Weah.Loan deals of experienced CHs to play,would then let us bting in a couple of projects to bring on over a year or so.Expectations of what can buy,way too high.Anyone mentions Mc Kenna,hands thrown up in horror,but this is a young guy,well thoughtof by many in the game.The big stopper at Leicester ,not much better ,IMO,is valued around £60-80 million,for Gods sake.Our big failing is not being able to bring a CH through from the Academy.Looking atbthe dearth of Scottish CHs,not only us.

Somewhere along the line we need to sign a Timothy Castagne rather than a Martin Kelly. It’s about showing intent to succeed on the pitch rather than intent to sell players for money and patching up the gaps with loans.

More loanees? Bah humbug. Our defence should have four core first team players that are with us on at least 2-3 year contract deals to allow some stability and forward planning. KT is the only one we have at the moment. Ralston might be. Bain too.

Before the next qualifiers (IF we win the league), Boyata and Benkovic will be gone and I don’t see any reason to think Simunovic, Hendry or Ajer are good enough to play at that level. Lustig is done and Gordon too inconsistent.

Why can’t we sign two solid CHs? They don’t have to be world beaters for heaven’s sake, just solid and reliable with the experience and ability of playing at a level a notch above where we are but below that demanded by the top teams.

Are we really saying that the best we can get are young loanees from the EPL reserves for a season (if that)? How do all the other leagues in the world manage to function without tapping into City’s treasure chest?

Always thebsame mantra with you.What CHs were available in the summer?More importantly,could we have afforded them.There is no reasoning with you.Blinkers on ,living in your own wee fantasy world.Commper,and Hendry had nothing to do with the Board.They were bought,and failed.Happens.Nothingto say it wont happen again,this time at greater cost.You rabbit on and on,but seem to have no clue on solutions,except for some ludicrous ones.We are trying to get Castagna,but its obvious the player does not want to come to Scotland.When this is brought up as a reason its hard for us to sign players,it gets shot down.Here is a guy saying it.How many more.

If spending less money on loanees leads to the same success as buying players through enormous transfer fees would you say our system is flawed- both relying on a supportive and productive youth system? Or could it be that many of us are having trouble adapting to a world that is moving on?

McKenna has the physicality and failing all else we should go for him. He’s young and a bit of coaching would do no harm. He will improve. There is not much else out there and given we will lose 2 CHs, I don’t see many more achievable options. Unless of course, our top class scouting department ;) have a rabbit in their hat.

I read the manager of WEST BROM telling the media that he’s glad Burke has gone to Celtic becasue we can bring their player up to a better level so he’s ready for their team.

West Brom, right? Not a football superpower by any means.

If people are happy that our once proud reputation has shrunk to where English managers talk about our club as nothing more than a development team for getting players “West Brom ready” then I guess we HAVE moved on. But nowhere good.

And if that’s the case then all the phony-baloney that comes from our board about how they see us as a European giant ought to cease because it’s garbage.

McKenna ain’t the worst. £3 or £4 million though is very expensive . Although in time, it may prove to be a good signing if it happens.

Half decent centre half’s , who are comfortable with the ball at their feet ( Brendan would insist ) cost serious cash . Either that or you work on the flaws . Tough game, and the price doesn’t garauntee he haw . HH

We now market ourselves as a development club, and an over-reliance on loan players gets in the way of stability and building something. Our backline needs an overhaul, a real one, and Rodgers has left it late to focus on it, but even he has come around to it at last.

Project players are not going to get us through next year’s Champions League qualifiers. It is embarrassing that a high profile Celtic site would even suggest that a few youth players from EPL sides on loan would be a satisfactory way to rebuild the central defence. How many lessons from top clubs does it take?

This nonsense – for that is what it is – about there just not being players out there … it’s laughable.

I’ll give you three right now who would markedly improve our defence, and all three are available for what would be relatively light sums because their contracts are up in six months;

Michael Van Der Hoorn, Swansea.

Daniel Schwaab, PSV.

Cedric Yambere, Dijon.

I could go on. And on. And on. The players are out there. If we’re willing to pay for them.

Maybe the West Brom manager is over-inflating the standing of his team because he’s the West Brom manager. We cannot compete financially with the mega-rich clubs who hoover up young talent in batches hoping a small percentage will fulfil their potential and we play in a league that is unattractive. We need to cut our cloth accordingly.

SMcK will leave the Sheep in the next 6 months — prediction is a mugs game but …

Interesting to see where he goes, at what cost and with what wages?

VvD is a great contrast to what happens next.

The EPL pay below the market rate for SPL players because of the duds the SPL / TFOD2.1 have passed of in the past and the general conception that the SPL isn’t that good so average players shine in a less than competitive environment.

I am well aware of the equality issues closer to home. That struggle is still going on, although massive strides have already occurred.

Stairheedrammy

Maybe so, but the female academics still have to live their life as second class citizens to men. They still have to wear mandatory headwear, even if they don’t want to. They must obey their husbands wishes and their testimony is still worth less than a male.

Canamalar

Even you cannot argue that women’s rights in Iran have not been severely erroded since 1979.

Just because you have worked in the Middle East dosent make you the political commissar for CQN.

ADVERTISEMENTS

ADVERTISEMENTS

Celtic Quick News

Welcome to the new look Celtic Quick News where you will find the latest Celtic news and features, posted 365 days a year! You can join the conversation too! Simply register and have your say below the blog posts at the top of the site. For more information please email [email protected]